Occupant contained rolling amusement device



May 24, 1966 YO 3,252,711

OCCUPANT CONTAINED ROLLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. KATHLEEN M. YOUNG y 24, 1966 K. M. YOUNG3,252,711

OCCUPANT CONTAINED ROLLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

KATHLEEN M. YOUNG lady 7 United States Patent 3,252,711 OCCUPANTCONTAINED ROLLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Kathleen M. Young, 1356 SocorroDrive, Sunnyvale, Calif. Filed Dec. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 328,685 4 Claims.(Cl. 280-78) This invention relates to a rolling toy for children.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved toy for theamusement of children.

Another object of this invention is to provide an rmproved toy having aspherical housing of plastic or like material which is provided with adoor on one side thereof through which the child may enter the housingpreparatory to using it for rolling down a sidewalk or pavement having aslight incline.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved toycomprising a housing of spherical shape into which a child may bestrapped preparatory to using the toy for rolling down a slightlyinclined sidewalk or pavement, said housing being provided with acombination seat and weight in the inside bottom thereof for holding itin upright position when it is at rest so that it may be entered throughthe door thereof which is held in proper position for such entry.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification,claims and drawings in which, briefly:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of this invention showing theside on which the door is positioned;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the door hinge;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another detail view of a modified hinge structure for thedoor;

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the door latching structure;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a detail View taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawing in detail reference numeral 10 designates asubstantially spherical hollow member or housing which is made of hardrubber, plastic or similar material and which is adapted to receive asmall child therein so that the device may be rolled along the sidewalkor other smooth surface with the small child securely strapped or heldtherein. The hollow housing 10 may be made out of two or three sectionsthat are cemented or heat-sealed together into a spherical member. Thehousing is provided with a door 13 on one side thereof and openings suchas the windows 11 and 12 are formed in surfaces of the device so thatthe occupant thereof may be observed from the outside or vice-versa. Twoopenings 14 and 15 are provided in the front of the shell of this deviceand opening 14- is covered with a transparent plastic that may have thinflakes of gold or copper material imbedded therein to give the illusionof stars or other heavenly objects to the occupant making observationsthereo. Opening 15 is covered with a translucent red plastic to simulatethe filter of an infrared detector. Several flexible members 16 ofrubber or the like which may simulate radio antennae are attached to theoutside surface of the device by rubbersuction cups 17 or the like.

The door 13 is of substantially triangular shape and the relativelynarrow bottom edge thereof is attached to the shell 10 of the device bythe long hinge member 18.

Patented May 24, 1966 ice This hinge member is made of two parts whichare hinged together by a pin at the end 20 thereof and the lower part isimbedded in the shell while the upper part is positioned in the hole 19formed in the door. This hole 19 is made large enough so that the hookend 21 of the hinge may be threaded therethrough and sprung intotheopposing end of the hinge projecting from the shell. Other types ofhinges may be employed for attaching the door 13 to the shell, forexample, conventional hinges 23 may be imbedded with the lower endthereof in the shell and the upper part thereof in the door, thereafterthese hinge parts may be assembled and the pivot pins thereof insertedto hold the door 13 hinged to the shell.

The upper surface of the door 13 is held in the door closed position bya latch mechanism 22, the details of which are illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7. This latch is provided with a spring-urged member 25 whichengages the door 13 in the slot 24. Latch 25 may be pressed into thecavity of the receptacle 26 which is imbedded in the shell and a spring28 is provided between the latch 25 and the member 29 to press the latch25 outward. Laterally extending parts 27 are provided to latch 25 andthese parts are positioned in suitable cavities in receptacle 26 toprevent the latch 25 from being pushed all the way out of the receptacleby the spring 28. Suitable projections such as 30 may be provided aroundthe receptacle 26 and these projections engage the plastic shell andretain the receptacle 26 in position therein when the receptacle isimbedded in the plastic.

Similar latch mechanisms such as 22 may be provided on the sides of thedoor 13 in addition to the latch mechanism 22 shown in FIG. 2, ifdesired. The door 13 may be opened from the inside by pressing the upperpart of the door outward or it may be opened from the outside bygripping the sides of both of the holes 12 and pulling outward so thatthe latching member 25 is forced into the receptacle 26 against thepressure of spring 28 and the door is released.

The inside of this device is provided with a curved ridge 31 againstwhich the occupant seats himself so that his legs extend forward and maybe folded Indianfashion ahead of the weight bag 36. Straps 34a and 34bare provided to go around the occupants waist. One end of strap 34a isattached by the ring 32 to the shell 10 at one end of the ridge 31, andone end of the strap 34b is attached by the ring 33 to the shell 10 atthe other end of the ridge 31. The other end of the strap 34a isprovided with two D-shaped rings 35 and the free end of strap 34b isthreaded through these D- shaped rings after the occupant is seated inthe shell. The strap 34b is snagged in the rings 35 to hold the occupantin the seat. The strap 34a is made of short length so that if it shouldaccidentally become separated from strap 34b during use, it will not belong enough to whip the rings 35 against the occupants head.

The weight sack 36 may be filled with heavy material such as sand, orthe like, and for this purpose an opening 37 wihch is provided with azipper for closure thereof is provided to the top of this weight sack sothat the sand or the like material may be placed therein. The bottom ofthis weight sack is cemented to the inside of the shell 10 and this sackis made of crescent-shape with the inner curve thereof shaped so thatthe occupant may comfortably sit just to the rear of this sack, betweenit and the ridge 31. This weight sack should be of sufficient weight sothat the device will always come to rest with this weight sack in thelower position whereby this device will always be in position to receivethe occupant when it is at rest.

This device is also provided with hand grips 39 and 40 which theoccupant grips during use of the device. A pad 38 of foam rubiber orfoam plastic is provided on the interior back of the device so that theoccupant may recline thereagainst during use of this device. A similarpad 38a is provided in the front of the occupant.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it will beunderstood that the invention is capable of variation and modificationfrom the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a rolling toy for children, the combination of a substantiallyspherical hollow shell of shock-resistant material and of a size wherebya child may be comfortably seated therein, a door in one side of saidshell, a seat inside of said shell on the bottom thereof, said seatcomprising a back member and a front member in the form of a containerhaving ballast material therein whereby said shell will normally come torest from rolling motion with said seat in position to receive theoccupant, hinge means for attaching said door to the bottom of saidshell, said door being positioned in said shell so that it issubstantially vertical when the shell is at rest to facilitate entrythereof, and releasable means for holding said door in closed position.

2. In a rolling toy for children, the combination of a substantiallyspherical hollow shell of shock-resistant plastic material and of a sizewhereby a child may be comfortably seated therein, a door in one side ofsaid shell, a seat inside of said shell on the bottom thereof, said seatcomprising a curved back member in the form of a ridge attached to saidshell and a front member in the form of a sack filled with granularmaterial to form ballast whereby said shell will normally come to restfrom rolling motion with said seat in position to receive the occupant,hinge means for attaching said door to the bottom of said shell, saiddoor being substantially triangular shape positioned so that a wide sidethereof is uppermost when the shell is at rest to facilitate entrythereof, and spring-urged latching means for holding said door in closedposition.

3. In a rolling toy for children, the combination of a substantiallyspherical hollow shell of shock-resistant plastic material and of a sizewhereby a child may be comfortably seated therein, a door in one side ofsaid shell, a seat inside of said shell on the bottom thereof, said seatcomprising a curved back member in the form of a ridge attached to saidshell and a front member in the form of a sack filled with granularmaterial to form ballast whereby said shell will normally come to restfrom rolling motion with said seat in position to receive the occupant,means attached to opposite ends of said ridge for strapping the occupantinto said seat, hinge means for attaching said door to the bottom ofsaid shell, said door being of substantially triangular shape positionedso that a wide side thereof is uppermost when the shell is at rest tofacilitate entry thereof, and spring-urged latching means for holdingsaid door in closed position.

4. In a rolling toy for children, the combination of a substantiallyspherical hollow shell of shock-resistant plastic material and of a sizewhereby a child may be comfortably seated therein, a door in one side ofsaid shell, a seat inside of said shell on the bottom thereof, said seatcomprising a curved back member in the form of a ridge attached to saidshell and a front member in the form of a sack filled with granularmaterial to form ballast whereby said shell will normally come to restfrom rolling motion with said seat in position to receive the occupant,hinge means for attaching said door to the bottom of said shell, one endof said ridge terminating adjacent to said hinge means, strap means forfastening the occupant into said seat, said strap means including ashort strap attached to said one end of said ridge and fastening meansattached to the free end of said short strap, said door being ofsubstantially triangular shape positioned so that a wide side thereof isuppermost when the shell is at rest to facilitate entry thereof, andspringurged latching means for holding said door in closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,013,806 12/1961Boyd 28078 3,083,979 4/1963 Boyd 28078 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, PrimaryExaminer.

1. IN A ROLLING TOY FOR CHILDREN, THE COMBINATION OF A SUBSTANTIALLYSPHERICAL HOLLOW SHELL OF SHOCK-RESISTANT MATERIAL AND OF A SIZE WHEREBYA CHILD MAY BE COMFORTABLY SEATED THEREIN, A DOOR IN ONE SIDE OF SAIDSHELL, A SEAT INSIDE OF SAID SHELL ON THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID SEATCOMPRISING A BACK MEMBER AND A FRONT MEMBER IN THE FROM OF A CONTAINERHAVING BALLAST MATERIAL THEREIN WHEREBY SAID SHELL WILL NORMALLY COME TOREST FROM ROLLING MOTION WITH SAID SEAT IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THEOCCUPANT, HINGE MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID FOOR TO THE BOTTOM OF SAIDSHELL, SAID DOOR BEING POSITIONED IN SAID SHELL SO THAT IT ISSUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WHEN THE SHELL IS AT REST TO FACILITATE ENTRYTHEREOF, AND RELEASABLE MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID DOOR IN CLOSED POSITION.